Luminaire support frame



Jan. 8, 1963 J. 5. GOLDBERG LUMINAIRE SUPPORT FRAME Filed Aug. 17. 1961 FIG. 1

INVENTOR. J'AY$.GOLDBERG 27w, r ATTO RNEYS United States Patent ()fiice 3,072,375 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 York Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,223 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-343) The present invention relates to support means for luminaires, and more particularly to support frames therefore, intended to be directly secured to a ceiling or wall.

The invention has particular application to support frame elements for recessed fixtures, which frame elements are secured directly to the ceiling plaster or wall plaster of a room.

It is an object of the invention to provide novel plaster frames for luminaire installations, which frames permit ready installation of the luminaire housing and, at the same time, permit a certain amount of adjustment thereof for precise alignment of the luminaire with the ceiling.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a plaster frame which may be formed by die casting and including upstanding lugs for securing the luminaire housing. In this respect, the invention eliminates the drilled and tapped holes of prior art devices with a resulting economic advantage in the manufacture thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a plaster frame with upstanding lugs having recessed wall means therein for parallel alignment with the walls of the luminaire housing and which are adapted to loosely but retentively receive clip nuts for receiving threaded means which interconnect the luminaire housing and the frame. In this respect, elongated open-ended slots are provided in the recessed wall means, which slots align with the threaded member receiving means in the clip nut, whereby adjustment of the nut along the length of the slot is permitted. This vertical movement plus the horizontal movement of the clip nut permitted because of its loose fit on the lug provides ample pre-tightening adjustment of the housing relative to the ceiling for perfectly aligned installation thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become understood after reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in section of a luminaire mounted within a ceiling recess via a plaster frame embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a lug portion of the plaster frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portion of the frame shown in FIG. 2 but showing the other side thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken through a vertical line through the center of the lug portion of the frame at the lower left hand portion of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a luminaire is supported adjacent a ceiling C and is aligned with the lower surface thereof at its outer end.

The housing 11 of the luminaire 10 is supported adjacent the ceiling C upon a circular plaster frame 12 of inverted L-shape in cross section and which normally sets into the ceiling, plaster and defines with the inner surface of its vertical wall the aperture within which the luminaire 10 is recessed. The lower end of the plaster frame 12 is aligned with the lower surface of the ceiling C and the horizontal flange of the plaster frame 12 extends radially outwardly to provide a support, above which lugs 14 extend for securing the housing 11.

The outer end of the housing 11 is aligned with the lower edge of the frame 12 and with thelower surface of the ceiling C and provides an inwardly extending flange portion 14. An annular face plate 15 is appropriately secured via screws 16 to the inwardly extending flange of the housing and may be provided with a hinge element, not shown, on one side to permit relamping and servicing without removal thereof. A lens 17 is supported by the face plate 15 and is centrally positioned below the light L and reflector R elements of the luminaire 10.

In accordance with the invention, the lugs 13 extending above the upper horizontal flange of the plaster frame 12 are integrally molded therewith and are each provided with a recessed wall 20 formed with an elongated slot 21 opened at its upper end intermediate the sides 22 of the lug 13. Clip nuts 23, of a readily available variety, fit over the recessed wall portion 20 of the lug 13 in slight pressure contact therewith via the biasing of the clip walls towards one another. The arrangement between the recessed wall 20 and the clip nuts 23 is such that the elongated slot 21 aligns with the screw of bolt receiving apertures 24 of the nut 23.

During installation, when the housing 11 is lifted through the aperture defined by the plaster frame 12, holes 25 (FIGS. 5 and 6) in the housing side wall are aligned with the clip nuts 23 on the lugs 13. A threaded member 26 is brought through the aperture in the housing wall and is threadedly engaged in the walls of the clip nut 23 through the slot 21 of the recessed wall 20 of each lug 13. The slot is advantageously designed to permit lateral movement of the member 26 within the slot 21 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and the alignment of the apertures 24, member 26 and slot 21.

Just prior to tightening the threaded member 26 to the point where movement of the housing 11 is no longer permitted, but when the housing 11 and frame 12 are relatively stable relative to one another, simple vertical displacement of the housing 11 will be permitted because of the slot configuration 21 within the recessed walls 20 of the lugs 13 which will allow the threaded member 26 vertical movement thereon.

In cases where the outer design of the luminaire and/ or adjacent ceiling structures require alignment via lateral movement of the clips relative to the recessed walls, the loose fit of the clip on the wall will permit slight adjustments to the extent of the width of the slot 21 in excess of the member 26. When alignment with the ceiling C is achieved, the threaded member 26 may then be rotated further to completely tighten the housing 11 and frame 12 together, and accidental movement of the housing 11 will not be permitted.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been described in terms of a recessed ceiling lamp. It should be understood that the invention will find other applications where framing elements, including non-circular framing elements, of the type described may be utilized and where vertical adjustment is helpful. Furthermore, the invention contemplates its adaptation because of the economic advantages inherent in its structure which permits a fabrication of the frame via die cast methods with the elimination of the manufacturing steps of drilling and 1tjapping holes within the lugs for receiving threaded memers.

The spirit and scope of the invention will now be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A luminaire support frame for supporting a walled luminaire housing on a surface, comprising a frame adapted to be fixed in an aperture of the surface, said frame including flange means adapted to be secured against the blind side of the surface, at least one lug extending outwardly from said flange means parallel to the housing Wall, said lug including an elongated slot, and a clip for said lug, said clip including downwardly extending opposed sides fitting over said lug, apertures in said sides for receiving a fastener, and a fastener adapted to pass through said clip apertures, said lug slot and a corresponding aperture in the housing wall, said lug including means for preventing the clip from rotating when the fastener is inserted into the clip apertures.

2. A luminaire support frame according to claim 1,

wherein said preventing means includes an upstanding wall adapted to abut against the edges of the sides of said clip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A LUMINAIRE SUPPORT FRAME FOR SUPPORTING A WALLED LUMINAIRE HOUSING ON A SURFACE, COMPRISING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE FIXED IN AN APERTURE OF THE SURFACE, SAID FRAME INCLUDING FLANGE MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED AGAINST THE BLIND SIDE OF THE SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE LUG EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FLANGE MEANS PARALLEL TO THE HOUSING WALL, SAID LUG INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SLOT, AND A CLIP FOR SAID LUG, SAID CLIP INCLUDING DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING OPPOSED SIDES FITTING OVER SAID LUG, APERTURES IN SAID SIDES FOR RECEIVING A FASTENER, AND A FASTENER ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID CLIP APERTURES, SAID LUG SLOT AND A CORRESPONDING APERTURE IN THE HOUSING WALL, SAID LUG INCLUDING MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE CLIP FROM ROTATING WHEN THE FASTENER IS INSERTED INTO THE CLIP APERTURES. 